Darwin's annual duck shooting season opening today proved a bonus for
Holden Jackaroo driver Bruce Garland and KTM motorcycle rider Andrew
Caldecott as they clinched the two major titles in the Australian Safari
international cross country rally through the Northern Territory.

Today's eighth and final stage was to have comprised four sections, but
two of them in the Howard Springs area over a total competitive distance
of 21km were cancelled minutes before the scheduled start this morning
when it was found that hunters were on the course.

The cancellation by Clerk of Course Bob Carpenter for safety reasons
allowed Holden Rally Team spearhead Garland a shorter path to his fourth
victory in the Auto Division for four-wheel-drive-vehicles, ahead of
team-mate Peter Brock, and also assisted South Australian Caldecott to
his second successive win in the Moto Division.

Carpenter said that when the original 4,426km course was finalised
earlier this year he was unaware the Safari clashed with the duck
shooting season in the area.

"To be honest it's not something you normally have to check for, but
when we got there this morning there were literally hundreds of duck
shooters around the place so we had to cancel," he said.

Later Garland and Caldecott claimed their titles in the traditional
closing section on Darwin's Mindil Beach in front of a large crowd which
included the Northern Territory's new Chief Minister-elect Clare Martin.

Garland, who started the rally by winning the Prologue in Alice Springs
on August 18, conceded the cancellation of the two sections at Howard
Springs had made it more difficult for nine-times Bathurst 1000 winner
Brock to overtake him.

"At the same time I'd started the day leading by more than 50-minutes,
so the only way I was going to get beaten was if I got stuck in a bog,
or something broke on my vehicle," said Garland.

"I didn't worry at all when I heard the sections were off because it
meant there was less chance of a disaster, which can happen."

"I've been in rallies all over the world, including Paris-Dakar, but
this is the first time I've ever seen duck shooters on the course."

"To win the Safari again is great. You can single any of them out as
being better than the others because you always face the same degree of
difficulty with the conditions and the terrain."

Garland won the title in an overall time of 25-hours 50-mins 34-secs,
and finished 54-mins and 56-secs clear of Brock, who was followed by
Victorian Des Harrington in a Nissan Patrol Ute, and NSW's Warren Ridge
in a Mitsubishi Pajero.

Brock said that he was not concerned about the cancellation of the
sections because his priority had been to contribute to a one-two finish
for the newly-formed factory Holden team.

"It's just an awesome effort to come here and dominate in this way over
such rough and tough country and some very good opposition," he said.
"To get two vehicles to the finish in this event is a credit to Bruce
and his team, and to Holden."

Caldecott, riding a 660 Rallye which arrived in Australia from the KTM
factory in Austria earlier this month, won the Moto Division with an
overall time of 24-hrs 18-mins 4-secs. The 37-year-old from
Keith completed the event 53-mins 48-secs ahead of Northern Territory
rider Stephen Greenfield on a Honda XR650.

London-based Australian Andrew Coaker continued his consistent form
shown throughout the Safari to finish third on a KTM 660 Rallye, with
American Casey McCoy fourth on a Honda XR650. Jamie O'Neill, provided
the Northern Territory with two riders in the top five by finishing
fifth on a Yamaha WR400.

Caldecott said his second Safari victory had been more difficult than
his debut win 12 months ago because of a higher level of competition in
2001.

"When I heard they'd cancelled a couple of today's stages I didn't mind
it because it took out some of the variables," said Caldecott. "I'm
feeling relieved more than anything now it's over because it's been a
hard slog from day one."

"We came across a big bog in the first section today, and it might have
caused some trouble. I managed to sneak through without getting into the
worst of it."

Greenfield said he would approach Honda Australia to assist with an
ongoing development program for the XR650 in preparation for the 2002
Safari.

"Andy (Caldecott) and KTM did a great job and they deserved to win,"
said Greenfield. "We've got a good baseline bike, but we need to refine
it to a higher level to close the gap."